He had warned me once. “You don’t marry for love, daughter. You marry for legacy. Love fades. Duty endures.”
And I had defied him. For Jeremiah. For what I thought was love. I ran away from home just to marry him, and now, it seemed like my father was right.
My hand trembled as I dialed his number. It rang twice before his deep, familiar voice answered.
“Zera?” For a moment, I couldn’t speak. My throat closed, and my tears threatened to fall again. “Father…” I whispered.
There was silence. Then his tone softened, cautious. “It’s been years, little one. Why are you calling?”
I swallowed hard. “I want to come home. I will marry whoever that man you wanted me to marry years ago.”
He inhaled sharply. “What about Jeremiah? You left your family, your pack, everything for that Alpha.”
“I was wrong,” I said quietly, my voice trembling. “He betrayed me. He killed my daughter, Father. He’s been cheating on me… with my best friend.”
Another silence. I could almost hear the growl building in his chest through the phone.
“Did he harm you?”
“No,” I said, though my voice wavered. “Not yet. But he will. I can feel it. And I can’t stay here any longer.”